1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a convertible and a movable roof for the convertible
2. Description of the Related Art
DE 44 45 580 C1 describes a convertible that has rigid roof parts that can be folded towards each other. A rear roof part comprises two main posts that project laterally upward and a rear window that lies between them. Following the course of the main posts, two parts of a linkage are installed on each side of the vehicle, one so-called link and one main link, which extend between a main bearing situated below the belt line and a front roof part, which, in its closed position, lies essentially horizontally above the passenger compartment. The link and the main link lie essentially parallel to each other in a side view and form parts of an articulated parallelogram, with which the opening and closing movement of the roof parts can be effected.
The main link can also be formed by the main post of the rear roof part itself. However, at least the link lying parallel to this juts out in any case relative to the rear roof part and thus limits the head clearance in the passenger compartment—as is also the case with an upper horizontal link (referred to there as guide element 15), which is arranged below the front roof part and connects the link and the main link with each other to close the parallelogram. Precisely in the case of two-seater vehicles, in which the head of the driver or passenger must be held in the vicinity of the transition between the front and rear roof parts, linkage parts arranged there are especially troublesome and, in the event of an accident, dangerous. Therefore, it is necessary to provide additional lining elements for these linkage parts. These additional lining elements further reduce interior space and, of course, also allow the linkage parts to pass through slot recesses or the like during movement of the roof.